Sibling Rivalry

Growing up in a family of three girls, we were always fighting over something. I don’t know if it’s the nature of sisters, or just siblings in general, but there is always something to compete over. I always compared myself to my two sisters. How were my grades in comparison? How was my hair? My stuff (music collection, clothes etc). Someone always wanted what you had, meanwhile, you were wanting what someone else had.

While age changes somethings, there are some feelings that never go away. I still feel like I am always measured best when put up against my sisters. Case in point, Jenge and I are doing a running program right now. We’re both pretty out of shape, and we want to be in shape, so running seemed like the best idea. On days when I don’t feel like doing the program, as soon as I find out that Jenge has already done her training for the day I’m like, ‘Oh it’s ON!! I’m gonna go right now! No way she’s gonna get fit before me!!’ If Jenge stays on plan, I must stay on plan.

Now we are all signed up for Greek lessons together, and I can’t help but think, ‘Here we go again.’ Ann was the first to sign up and as soon as she did, I did. Then Jenge. I’ve already downloaded Greek Podcasts to brush up on my greek and Jenge is talking about getting herself a Greek-English dictionary so she can referesh her reading skills. Is this a strong desire to finally learn the language? Doubtful since we’ve had our whole lives to do it and haven’t yet. It’s got to be the spark of knowing we will all be in class together. Taking tests, filling in worksheets, speaking out loud. And no one wants to be the sister that doesn’t get it.

But don’t get me wrong, I don’t think sisterly rivalry is a bad thing. We push ourselves farther because we know we can do it. Would I keep up with the running program if I didn’t have Jenge? Who knows? Would I push myself as hard to learn Greek if I didn’t know I’d be going head to head with Ann? Probably not. And who better to compete agains than someone who:
a) comes from the same gene pool?
b) you’ve known your whole life?
c) will help you if you start to fail?

Because, while we sometimes compete with each other, none of us likes the others to be left behind and will give help when help is needed.

So it can’t be a bad thing! Yeah, I think nodding to myself, it’s a good thing. But I gotta go, I gotta get Podcast #5 deciphered before the end of the day if I want to compete in the Greek War!

Fess up to your Strange and Bizarre Celebrity Crush!

We’ve all got ’em. Those celebrity crushes no one but you understands. And I’m not talkin’ about your Brad Pitt’s or your Angelina Jolie’s. I’m talking about the ones that make your friends stare at you with a mixture of confusion and horror. So, come on! Let it out and tell the world. I’ll go first. . . .

My Strange Celebrity Crushes – By Squirrelly Girly
1. Peter Jennings – Loved this man. He seemed so smart! So worldly! So gentlemanly!
2. Anderson Cooper – He, too, seems very smart and well spoken. Snazzy dresser.
3. Jeff Probst from Survivor – You may think this one’s not weird, but given that I’m almost 5’11” and I hear that he is short, it’s out there for me. I think it’s because he always looks so clean and well-pressed next to the slugs that are competing for a million bucks.
4. Rick Springfield – Years after he was in the zone, I will still stop and watch ‘Hard to Hold’ when it’s on TV.
5. Richard Dean Anderson – Same as Rick Springfield. I’ve got all of MacGyver on order from zip.ca. Stargate SG-1 – Got some eps on DVD. C’mon! It’s RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON. You know once, in Grade 4, my best friend at the time, her mum worked for the Calgary Herald and she told us that Richard Dean Anderson was in her building one day! We squealed like only 9 year old girls could! We were stunned! We were like, “DID YOU TALK TO HIM? Omigod! DID YOU??” and she was like, what do you want to hear, that I grabbed him and kissed him? We squealed even louder! It was the best part of evening. I think we saw Crocodile Dundee that night. . .

Don’t be shy, mes enfants!! Tell me your strange celebrity crush!!

I’m a WUSS!!

It’s true. I can’t handle pain. I won’t be one of those people that tells you, “Oh I have a VERY high pain tolerance. Seriously.”

Nope, not me. Can’t stand it. I’m pretty lucky though. I rarely get headaches. The only nagging injury I have is from when I broke my leg when I was 14. It still gives me a little grief, but two months in a cast and six in a leg brace taught me how to ‘limp’ without looking like I’m limping.

But I’ve got a toothache! Two weeks ago I had a filling replaced and since then. . . WAAAAAHHHH!

It finally got bad enough that I went back to my dentist. Advil for breakfast and dinner is not a good thing. She filed it down tons but said it might take a while for my jaw to adjust. It hurts! It aches all the way back into my ear and my neck and shoulders are killing me from how stiff my jaw is! I can’t really shoulder check when I drive anymore. I’m miserable!

Now as I said, I can’t take pain, but tooth pain is the absolute worst! You can’t really put heat on it, you can’t massage the area. You can’t do anything for it! I had to have an emergency root canal a few years back and I still shudder when I think about it.

So what does that picture of Portia have to do with my toothache? Absolutely nothing. But it makes me smile and that makes me feel better!